Vehicle wash package selection confirmation system

ABSTRACT

A vehicle wash system includes a wash package selection zone where a vehicle operator is presented with a plurality of different vehicle wash packages. Each of the vehicle wash packages has an associated unique color identifier. The system includes a controller configured to receive a selection from the vehicle operator of one of the plurality of different vehicle wash packages. The system includes a vehicle treatment zone, including at least one illumination element associated therewith. The at least one illumination element is in communication with the controller. The controller is configured to emit light from the at least one illumination element in a color that corresponds to the color identifier of the vehicle package selected by the vehicle operator.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No.14/687,704 entitled “Vehicle Wash Package Selection Confirmation System”filed Apr. 15, 2015 which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional PatentApplication Ser. No. 62/045,208 entitled “Vehicle Wash Package SelectionConfirmation System”, filed Sep. 3, 2014, the disclosure of which ishereby incorporated by reference as though set forth fully herein.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure relates generally to a vehicle wash system fortreating an exterior surface of a vehicle. More specifically, thepresent disclosure relates to a vehicle wash system for treating anexterior surface of a vehicle that utilizes computer controlled lightsto provide feedback confirmation to a customer that the vehicletreatment options selected are being implemented by the wash system.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Vehicle wash systems have become a common way for vehicle owners toquickly and efficiently have their vehicles cleaned without having towash and clean them by hand. Depending upon how dirty the vehicle is,the level of cleanliness the vehicle owner seeks to achieve, and theamount of money the vehicle owner is willing to spend, there are avariety of different types of vehicle wash systems with differentservice options available to meet those needs. For example, full servicevehicle wash systems provide vehicle operators with both interior andexterior vehicle cleaning services. These are generally the mostexpensive type of vehicle wash systems. Self-service type vehicle washsystems offer vehicle owners a less expensive option for cleaning theirvehicles. However, with these types of systems, vehicle owners mustoperate the equipment themselves to clean the interior and/or exteriorof their vehicles. The most common type of vehicle wash systems arethose that offer exterior vehicle cleaning services only and which areoften embodied as conveyerized tunnel systems or roll over machines. Interms of price, these last types of vehicle wash systems are generallypriced in between the other two types of vehicle wash systems.

Each of the above-described vehicle wash systems typically presentsvehicle owners with a variety of different cleaning and treatmentoptions and services for varying fees. For example, most vehicle washsystems (whether full service or conventional) generally offer vehicleowners a basic wash package that consists of treating a vehicle exteriorwith conventional clearing services. This basic wash package isgenerally provided for a base fee and is often referred to as a regularor base wash. For customers that want additional treatments or servicesto be performed on their vehicle, many vehicle wash systems offer anupgraded package that includes additional services for payment of anincreased fee, such as an under body wash and a tire shine. Othercustomers may want the “works” and many vehicle wash systems offer astill further upgraded package which includes all of its premiumservices. The additional services in these upgraded packages, which areoften referred to as premium packages, can include an under body rustinhibitor or a tire polish. The premium packages are generally availableat a fee that is higher than any of the other packages available.

Once a vehicle owner makes a selection of a desired package and pays theappropriate fee, he relies on the operator of the vehicle wash system toimplement the appropriate package that the operator paid for. However,it is not uncommon for a vehicle owner to select and pay for one packageand have the wash system provide a different package. This can occurthrough inadvertent entry of the package selection into the controllerby a wash owner/operator or improper intent on the part of the operatorof or worker at the vehicle wash system to pocket the difference betweenthe package paid for and that provided.

Additionally, this discrepancy often goes uncorrected as vehicle ownerswould have a very difficult time noticing this error during the vehiclewash process, even if they know what to look for. This is because theenvironment within a vehicle wash facility is generally dark with littlelight and thus visibility for vehicle owners is usually very poor.Couple this with the fact that the vehicle windows are usually coveredwith soap and water during the vehicle wash process and it is verydifficult for vehicle owners to see what components are actuallytreating their vehicle. As this practice is known to occur and it isdifficult to rectify after the fact, some vehicle owners are dissuadedfrom purchasing packages with additional services for fear that thoseservices will not be provided. This has resulted in a significant lossof revenue for the car wash industry.

It would thus be desirable to provide a method and system that overcomesthese disadvantages with existing vehicle wash systems.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is therefore an aspect of the present disclosure to provide a vehiclewash system that provides a higher quality wash service for vehicleowners.

It is another aspect of the present disclosure to provide a vehicle washsystem that is more attractive to customers and prospective customers.

It is still another aspect of the present disclosure to provide avehicle wash system that provides a perception of high quality tocustomers and prospective customers.

It is still a further aspect of the present disclosure to provide avehicle wash system that provides a more enjoyable vehicle washexperience for customers.

It is yet another aspect of the present disclosure to provide a vehiclewash system that provides visual confirmation to vehicle occupants thatthe wash system is providing the services they selected and paid for aspart of the wash process.

It is still yet another aspect of the present disclosure to provide avehicle wash system that yields improved aesthetics within a vehiclewash facility.

It is yet a further aspect of the present disclosure to provide avehicle wash system that provides improved diagnostic information to avehicle wash operator to facilitate efficient operation of the system.

It is still yet a further aspect of the present disclosure to provide avehicle wash system that can assist in increased revenue generation.

It is still yet a further aspect of the present disclosure to provide avehicle wash system that can assist with marketing of the vehicle washfacility.

In accordance with the above and the other aspects of the presentdisclosure, a method of providing confirmation feedback to a customer ofa vehicle wash facility as to purchased vehicle wash services isprovided. The vehicle wash facility includes a plurality of vehicle washcomponents for treating a vehicle exterior in a vehicle treatment area.The customer of the vehicle wash services is presented a plurality ofdifferent pre-assigned vehicle treatment packages. Each of the pluralityof different vehicle treatment packages is associated with differentsets of the plurality of vehicle wash components. Each of the vehicletreatment packages is assigned a different package color. A customerselection of a vehicle treatment package is received and the vehiclewash components associated with the selected vehicle treatment packageare automatically employed to treat the customer's vehicle. As thecustomer's vehicle travels though the vehicle wash facility a pluralityof illumination elements disposed adjacent the vehicle treatment areaare illuminated for viewing by the customer. The illumination elementsemit a color that corresponds to the package color assigned to thevehicle treatment package that is the subject of the first packageselection.

In accordance with another aspect, a vehicle wash system for providing auser feedback as to a purchase selection within a vehicle wash facilityis provided. The system includes a wash package selection area where avehicle operator may select a vehicle wash package from among aplurality of different vehicle wash packages. Each of the plurality ofdifferent vehicle wash packages corresponding to different wash servicesfor treating a vehicle. Each of the plurality of different vehiclepackages is assigned a color identifier so that the vehicle operator canassociate the assigned colors with each of the plurality of vehicle washpackages. The system includes at least one illumination source disposedin the vehicle wash facility. The at least one illumination sources hasa plurality of different modes corresponding to the plurality ofdifferent vehicle packages. A controller is in communication with the atleast one illumination source and is configured to detect a selection ofone of the plurality of vehicle wash packages from the vehicle operatorand direct that the different wash services associated with the selectedvehicle wash package are activated as the vehicle passes through thevehicle wash facility. The controller enables the mode of the at leastone illumination source corresponding to the selected package such thatcolor is emitted that corresponds to the color identifier assigned tothe selected vehicle wash package.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Other aspects of the present disclosure will be readily appreciated, asthe same becomes better understood by reference to the followingdetailed description when considered in connection with the accompanyingdrawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a schematic illustration of a vehicle wash system having aplurality of vehicle wash components in accordance with an aspect of thedisclosure;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a lighted top brush for a vehicle washsystem in accordance with an aspect of the disclosure;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a lighted side brush for a vehicle washsystem in accordance with an aspect of the disclosure;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a foam generation device for a vehiclewash system in accordance with an aspect of the disclosure;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a delivery nozzle for the foamgeneration device of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of an illuminated sign for a vehicle washsystem in accordance with an aspect of the disclosure; and

FIG. 7 is an exemplary package menu sign for a vehicle wash system inaccordance with an aspect of the disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DISCLOSURE

According to an aspect, the present disclosure relates to a vehicle washsystem 10. As shown in FIG. 1, the system 10 may be configured as atunnel car wash, where a vehicle 12 is conveyed through the wash processby a conveyor or the like as is known in the art. Alternatively, thevehicle wash system 10 may be configured as a roll-over type where thevehicle 12 remains stationary and wash components move with respect tothe vehicle 12 to perform the vehicle wash process. Other suitable washprocesses and systems may also be employed. It will be appreciated thatthe disclosed system could also be employed in connection with a varietyof other vehicle wash systems including, full service, manual orself-serve wash processes.

According to an aspect, the vehicle wash system 10 may be housed withina vehicle wash facility 14 having an entrance end 16 where a vehicleenters and an exit end 18 where the vehicle leaves. According to afurther aspect, the vehicle wash system 10 may also include a variety ofvehicle wash components that engage and/or treat the exterior of thevehicle 12 as it passes through the vehicle wash facility 14 toeffectuate the vehicle wash process. For example, as illustrativelyshown in FIG. 1, the vehicle wash system 10 can include a rinse arch 20,which sprays water onto the vehicle. The system 10 can also include apair of wheel scrubbers 22 for cleaning vehicle wheels as well as thelower portion of a vehicle. Additionally, the system 10 may include atop wheel or brush 24 for cleaning an upper exterior surface of avehicle. Moreover, the system 10 can also include a bubble or foamdelivery device 26 that generates bubbles and emits them directly ontothe vehicle exterior.

According to another aspect, the system 10 can include one or more sidebrushes 28 for contacting side exterior surfaces of a vehicle and aplurality of wrap brushes 30 for contacting front and back vehiclesurfaces. The system 10 can also include a drying section 32 forremoving water from the vehicle exterior. According to a further aspect,the system 10 can include a wheel polishing device 34. It will beappreciated that more, less or different wash components may be employedas part of the vehicle wash system. For example, the system 10 may alsoinclude components for treating the vehicle undercarriage, for applyingbody sealant, for applying polish wax to the vehicle and/or performing avariety of different functions. Additionally, multiples of the samecomponents may be employed as part of the system as desired. Further,the components may take on a variety of different configurations.Moreover, the order, placement and sequence of the components within thesystem 10 may also vary. According to an aspect, the components may bedesigned to engage and/or treat the vehicle 12 as it is disposed withina vehicle treatment area 36 of the vehicle wash facility 14.

According to an aspect, the vehicle wash system 10 may include acontroller 38 that is in communication with all of the treatmentcomponents so that the system 10 may operate automatically undercomputer control. According to another aspect, the controller 38 may beemployed to direct the operation and timing of the vehicle washcomponents. For example, the controller 38 could signal certain vehiclecomponents to start operating as a vehicle approaches and then signalthem to shut down after the vehicle has passed. It will be appreciatedthat the vehicle wash system 10 could include a variety of sensors orsensing devices to track the location of the vehicles within the systemand communicate that information to the controller 38. It will also beappreciated that a computer, processor or other suitable control devicemay alternatively be employed to control the system and its components.According to further aspect, each of the vehicle wash components, i.e.,20, 22, 24, 26, 28, 30, 32 and 34 utilized in the vehicle wash system 10can include a light source associated therewith, as discussed in moredetail below.

FIG. 2 illustrates an exemplary top brush 24 in accordance with anaspect of the present disclosure. The exemplary top brush 24 can includea frame 40 and a brush portion 42 supported by the frame 12. The topbrush 24 may be configured to span a vehicle treatment area 36 of avehicle wash facility 14 for treating a top exterior surface of avehicle 12. According to an aspect, the top brush 24 may be incommunication with a suitable drive mechanism 44, such as a motor, toeffectuate rotation thereof in order to perform a scrubbing or cleaningfunction to remove dirt or debris from the vehicle exterior. It will beappreciated that the disclosed top brush 24 can also perform otherfunctions besides cleaning.

According to an aspect, the top brush 24 can include a rotatable driveshaft 46 in communication with the drive mechanism 44. The top brush 24may include a plurality of wash media elements 50 coupled to therotatable drive shaft 46 such that they can rotate therewith. Thestructure and operation of this exemplary top brush 24 is described inmore detail in connection with Applicant's co-pending U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 14/456,636, entitled “Lighted Vehicle WashComponent”, which was filed Aug. 11, 2014, the disclosure of which ishereby incorporated by reference as though set forth fully herein. Itwill be appreciated that the top brush 24 may have a variety ofdifferent configurations.

According to a further aspect, the top brush 24 can include a pluralityof illumination elements 52 disposed thereon. According to one aspect,the illumination elements 52 may be disposed on the frame 40 of the topbrush 24. According to another aspect and with reference to FIG. 2, theillumination elements 52 may be disposed in an area between adjacentrows of wash media elements 50 such that the illumination elements 52rotate as the top brush 24 rotates and may be visible from the exteriorwhile it is rotating and while sit is at rest. It will be appreciatedthat only one or multiple illumination elements 52 may be incorporatedinto the top brush 24. According to an aspect, the illumination elements52 may be individual LED light strips, each including a plurality ofindividual LEDs. According to another aspect, a variety of othersuitable illumination elements may be employed. It will also beappreciated that the illumination elements may be disposed in a varietyof suitable locations. According to a further aspect, the illuminationelements 52 may be located in multiple different locations on the topbrush 24.

FIG. 3 illustrates an exemplary side brush 28 in accordance with anaspect of the present disclosure. The exemplary side brush 28 caninclude a frame 60 and a brush portion 62 supported by the frame 60. Theside brush 28 may be configured to be disposed adjacent a vehicletreatment area 36 of a vehicle wash facility 14 for treating sideexterior surfaces of a vehicle 12. According to an aspect, the sidebrush 28 may be in communication with a suitable drive mechanism 64,such as a motor, to effectuate rotation thereof in order to perform ascrubbing or cleaning function such as to remove dirt or debris from avehicle exterior. It will be appreciated that the disclosed side brush28 can also perform other functions besides cleaning. It will also beappreciated that side brushes may be disposed on either side of thevehicle treatment area 36 for contacting either side of the vehicle.

According to an aspect, the side brush 28 can include a rotatable driveshaft 66 in communication with the drive mechanism 64. A plurality ofhub portions 68 may be in communication with the drive shaft 66. The hubportions 68 may each have a plurality of wash media elements 70 securedthereto such that they rotate together with the rotatable drive shaft66. The structure and operation of this exemplary side brush 28 isdescribed in more detail in connection with Applicant's co-pending U.S.patent application Ser. No. 14/474,817, entitled “Lighted Vehicle WashComponent”, which was filed on Sep. 2, 2014, the disclosure of which ishereby incorporated by reference as though set forth fully herein. Itwill be appreciated that the side brush 28 may have a variety ofdifferent configurations.

According to a further aspect, the side brush 28 can include a pluralityof illumination elements 72 disposed thereon. According to one aspect,the illumination elements 72 may be disposed on the frame 60 of the sidebrush 28. According to another aspect and with reference to FIG. 3, theillumination elements 72 may be disposed in an area between adjacentrows of wash media elements 70 such that the illumination elements 72may be visible from the exterior of the side brush 28 while it isrotating and while it is at rest. It will be appreciated that only oneor multiple illumination elements 72 may be incorporated into the sidebrush 28. According to an aspect, the illumination elements 72 may beindividual LED light strips, each including a plurality of individualLEDs. According to another aspect, a variety of other suitableillumination elements may be employed. It will also be appreciated thatthe illumination elements may be disposed in a variety of suitablelocations. According to a further aspect, the illumination elements 72may be located in multiple different locations on the side brush 28.

FIG. 4 illustrates an exemplary bubble or foam delivery device 26 inaccordance with an aspect of the present disclosure. The exemplarybubble or foam delivery device 26 can include a frame 80 and a pluralityof nozzle portions 82 supported on the frame 80. The bubble or foamdelivery device 26 may be configured to span a vehicle treatment area 36of a vehicle wash facility 14 for emitting fluid onto a top exteriorsurface of a vehicle 12. It will be appreciated that the disclosedbubble or foam delivery device 26 can be configured to emit a variety ofdifferent types and/or kinds of fluids, i.e., the device can emitbubbles instead of foam. An exemplary bubble delivery device 26 that maybe employed with the disclosed system is disclosed in Applicant'sco-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/864,813, entitled “AVehicle Wash Component for Emitting Bubbles”, filed Apr. 17, 2013, thedisclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference. It will beappreciated that a variety of other suitably configured devices may beemployed.

According to an aspect, the bubble or foam delivery device 26 mayinclude a plurality of illumination elements 84 that are incommunication with the device 26. According to an aspect, theillumination elements 84 may be disposed on the outside of the frame 80such as by various suitable securing means as will be understood by oneof ordinary skill in the art. According to another aspect, the frame 80may have a manifold housing 86 with a pair of end portions 88, 90. Themanifold housing 86 associated with one or both of the end portions 88,90 could be constructed of a translucent material and one or moreillumination elements 84 could be incorporated into the housing 86 suchthat end portions 88, 90 could light up when the illumination elementsare activated. A variety of different types of materials with differentcharacteristics could be employed to achieve this lighting effect. Forexample, the end portions could be constructed of an opaque material. Itwill be appreciated that more portions than the end portions 88, 90 ofthe manifold housing 86 could be configured to light up as desired. Infact, part of the manifold housing 86 could be configured as a lightpipe such that illumination elements 84 could be placed on one end andthe light pipe could convey light to other portions of the housing.According to an aspect, the illumination elements 84 may be one or moreLEDs that are configured to illuminate the end portions 88, 90.According to another aspect, a variety of other suitable types ofillumination elements may be employed.

According to another aspect and as best shown in FIG. 5, each of theplurality of nozzle portions 82 could include a cap portion 92 that maybe constructed of a translucent material. According to a further aspect,an illumination element 84 may be disposed within the interior of eachof the nozzle portions 82 to illuminate the cap portions 92 as desired.According to an aspect, the illumination elements 84 may be one or moreLEDs that are configured to illuminate the cap portions 92. According toanother aspect, a variety of other suitable types of illuminationelements may be employed. The cap portions 92 could be configured tolight up in unison with the end portions 88, 90. It will be appreciatedthat the illumination elements 84 could have a variety of differentconfigurations and could be disposed and integrated into the device 26in a variety of suitable ways, including in multiple differentlocations.

It will be appreciated that illumination elements may be incorporatedinto other components in the vehicle wash system that have not beenspecifically described and may be incorporated in similar fashions, asdescribed above. It will also be appreciated that illumination elementscould be associated with other portions of the vehicle wash system otherthan the components. The illumination elements could also be associatedwith other portions of the vehicle wash facility.

FIG. 6 illustrates a lighted sign component 100 for use in connectionwith a vehicle wash system 10 according to an aspect of the presentdisclosure. According to an aspect, the lighted sign component 100 caninclude a base portion 102, a mounting portion 104, and a displayportion 106. According to an aspect, the base portion 102 may have aflat baseplate portion 108 for engaging a flat structure such as groundof a vehicle wash facility. It will be appreciated that the baseplateportion 108 could be configured to engage a variety of other suitablestructures. It will also be appreciated that the lighted sign component100 could be located in a variety of suitable locations throughout thevehicle wash facility. It will also be appreciated that the baseplateportion 108 could have a variety of different configurations.

According to another aspect, the mounting portion 104 may be configuredas a vertical post that may extend generally between the base portion102 and the display portion 106. According to aspect, the mountingportion 104 may include a signpost portion 110 and a cover portion 112that may be disposed over the signpost portion 110. According to anaspect, the cover portion 112 may be constructed of a translucentmaterial. It will be appreciated that the cover portion 112 could beconstructed of a variety of other suitable materials. According to afurther aspect, an illumination element 114 may be in communication withthe signpost portion 110 such that light may be emitted through thecover portion 112 and may be visible from the exterior of the component100. The illumination element 114 may be configured as a flexible LEDstrip that is wrapped around the signpost portion 110. It will beappreciated that a variety of other types of suitable illuminationelements may be employed and that they may be mounted or disposed withinthe mounting portion 104 in a variety of suitable ways. It will also beappreciated that the mounting portion 104 could have a variety ofdifferent configurations. It will be further appreciated that theillumination elements could be disposed in a variety of other locationson the component 100.

According to a further aspect, the display portion 106 may be pivotallyconnected to an upper end of the mounting portion 104. As shown, thedisplay portion 106 may have a generally circular shape with an outerperipheral portion 124 and a middle section 126. According to an aspect,the middle section 126 may be constructed of a translucent material suchas a translucent plastic material and may be configured to emit light.It will be appreciated that the middle section 126 could be constructedof an opaque material that is configured to glow. According to anotheraspect, the middle section 126 may be configured to display lightedindicia, such as signage information 128. This may be accomplished byone or more illumination elements disposed behind the middle section 126as will be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art. This signageinformation 128 could be configured as navigational information that isconveyed to a vehicle occupant, including that it is clear for thevehicle to drive forward or that the vehicle needs to stop. The signageinformation 128 could also be configured as promotional informationabout services the vehicle wash facility has available for the vehicle,such as the various wash packages. It will be appreciated that thesignage information 128 could be configured and utilized to convey avariety of other suitable information.

According to yet another aspect, the outer peripheral portion 124 mayinclude individual illumination elements 130 uniformly dispersedtherearound to provide additional light that may be emitted from thecomponent 100. The illumination elements 130 may be individual LEDs.However, a variety of other suitable light sources may be employed. Aplurality of sections 132 may be included between the illuminationelements 130 that may also be constructed of translucent material. Itwill be appreciated that the outer peripheral portion 124, theillumination elements 130, and the sections 132 may all be colored withthe same light at the same time. Alternatively, each portion may becolored with different lights. It will also be appreciated that some orall of the illumination elements may be configured to flash or blink.

According to an aspect, the system 10 may be configured to illuminatecertain of the treatment components within the facility in selectedareas upon certain predetermined conditions. According to one exemplaryaspect, the system 10 may be configured to illuminate certain of thetreatment components and/or illumination elements located within thevehicle wash facility to provide a vehicle occupant with feedback andconfirmation that the wash package that they selected is actually beingperformed on their vehicle.

In accordance with a method and system of the present disclosure, when avehicle arrives at the vehicle wash facility, the vehicle can encountera package purchase zone 150 where a vehicle operator is presented withvarious treatment packages and associated prices for treatment of thevehicle. The various treatment options may be presented to the vehicleoccupant in a variety of different ways. According to one aspect, theymay be presented to the vehicle occupant on a display screen, a menuboard, or a variety of other suitable ways. An exemplary menu board isschematically depicted in FIG. 7 as reference number 152. Once thevehicle operator has decided which vehicle treatment package topurchase, they may indicate their package selection in a variety ofdifferent ways. According to one aspect, the vehicle operator may stopat an operator station, generally designated by reference number 154,and convey their package selection to an operator who will manuallyinput that selection into a computer or controller to start the process.According to another aspect, the vehicle operator may enter theirselection electronically such as on an electronic terminal that alsoallows for electronic selection and payment at that terminal. Once theirselection is input, the controller 38 can track that operator's vehicleas it travels throughout the wash process and can direct that theservices associated with the package selected by the operator beperformed.

With reference to FIG. 7, the disclosed vehicle wash system 10 can offervarious treatment packages that are identified by different identifiersand each have different services associated therewith. As discussedabove, these may be presented on a menu board or display. According toan aspect, the primary identifier associated with the various treatmentpackages of the present disclosure may be a color. For example, withreference to FIG. 11, the Base package, as generally indicated byreference number 156, may be identified as the White package and may bedesignated by the color white or no color. The Red package, whichincludes additional wash services over the Base package, is generallyindicated by reference number 158, and may be designated by the colorred. The Blue package, which includes additional wash services over andabove the White package and the Red package, is generally identified byreference number 160, and may be designated by the color blue. The Greenpackage, which can include the most wash services of the variouspackages available, is generally identified by reference number 162, andmay be designated by the color green. It will be appreciated that moreor less packages may be presented to vehicle occupants. It will also beappreciated that the various packages can be assigned any color or anyother identifier.

According to an aspect and with continued reference to FIG. 11, theservices offered with the Base package are a standard wash and mayinclude a pre-prep service, which is generally by reference number 164.According to another aspect, with the Red package the vehicle occupantcan also get the pre-prep wash 164 along with additional services,including body bubbles, identified generally by reference number 166,sparkle wash, generally identified by reference number 168, and superdry, generally identified by reference number 170. As will beappreciated, the vehicle occupant may elect to purchase the Red packagefor an additional fee over and above the fee for Base package.

Further, with the Blue package, the vehicle occupant may receiveadditional services in addition to those offered with the Red package,including undercarriage cleaning, generally identified by referencenumber 172, wheel cleaning services, generally identified by referencenumber 174, body sealant, generally identified by reference number 176,and tire shine services, generally identified by reference number 178.According to an aspect, the vehicle occupant may purchase the Bluepackage for a fee that is greater than the Red package.

According to a further aspect, the Green package offers the vehicleoccupant the most services. According to an aspect, the Green packagescan offer the vehicle occupant all the same services available with theRed package as well as an additional polish wax service, generallyidentified by reference number 180.

According to an aspect, once the vehicle occupant has selected the colorpackage option and that selection has been entered into and recognizedby the computer system, the vehicle wash system 10 can be coordinatedsuch that the color of the illumination elements associated with thevarious treatment components matches the color of the vehicle owner'sselected package. In other words, the colors emitted from the lightsources may be coordinated with a customer's package purchase. Accordingto an aspect, the controller 38 could also be in communication with theillumination elements to control their operation and match their colorto the color assigned to the selected package option. For example, thecontroller 38 may operate all the illumination elements in accordancewith a DMX protocol. According to another aspect, a separate DMXcontroller could be utilized to control the lighting of the illuminationelements. The DMX controller could be employed as a laptop. The DMXcontroller could also include software that allows the controller toaccomplish the functionality described herein. The DMX controller couldtake on a variety of other configurations.

According to an aspect, after the vehicle occupant's package selectionpurchase has been entered into the system, the vehicle can proceedthrough the entrance end 16 of the vehicle wash facility 14. Accordingto an aspect, the controller 38 together with the sensors and otherdevices can track the location of the vehicle within the wash system 10.According to a further aspect, the vehicle 12 can travel to a firstvehicle zone 190. According to an aspect, the lights on all of thecomponents in and adjacent the first vehicle zone 190 can be illuminatedwith a color that matches the package selection by the vehicle occupant.Thus, if the vehicle occupant selected the “Blue” package, theillumination elements of all of the components in or adjacent the firstvehicle zone 190 can emit a blue light as controlled by the controller38 to provide visual confirmation to the vehicle occupant that they aregetting the proper vehicle treatment services that they selected andpaid for. It will be appreciated that the illumination elements can beassociated with the first vehicle zone 190 in other ways other than withthe components, including signs and displays.

According to another aspect, as the vehicle 12 proceeds into a secondvehicle zone 192, the illumination elements of the components in thesecond vehicle zone 192 may be illuminated in the color blue to matchthat of the vehicle occupant's blue package selection. According toanother aspect, as the vehicle 12 proceeds into a third vehicle zone194, the controller 38 can direct the illumination elements on thecomponents in the third vehicle zone 194 to emit a color matching thevehicle occupant's section, which according to this example is blue.According to a still further aspect, as the vehicle 12 proceeds into afourth vehicle zone 196, the illumination elements of the components inthe fourth vehicle zone 196 may be illuminated in a color to match thatof the vehicle occupant's package selection as directed by thecontroller 38. It will be appreciated that the vehicle wash system 10could be divided or broken down into more or less zones. It will also beappreciated that fewer than all of the components in a particular zonecould be directed to emit light in a color matching that of the vehicleoccupant's selection. It will also be appreciated that the illuminationelements need not be associated with the component, but could otherwisebe associated with the various vehicle zones.

According to another aspect, the controller 38 may control the lightingof the components within the vehicle wash system 10 to handle multiplevehicles within the wash system 10 at a given time at least two of whichmay have selected different packages. For example, a first vehicleoccupant could enter the package purchase zone 150 and select the Redcolored package. After the fee is paid for this package, it could beentered into the system and recognized by the controller 38. As thefirst vehicle proceeds toward the first vehicle zone 190, theillumination elements associated with the first vehicle zone 190 can becolored red to match that vehicle's package selection. According to anaspect as the first vehicle enters the first vehicle zone 190, a secondvehicle can enter the package purchase zone 150.

In this example, the second vehicle 12 may select to have the Greenpackage option for treatment of their vehicle. Again, after payment isreceived, this can be entered into the system and recognized by thecontroller 38. As the first vehicle proceeds into the second vehiclezone 192, the illumination elements in that zone can be colored red tocorrespond to the package selection of the first vehicle. At the sametime, the controller 38 can direct that the illumination elements in thefirst vehicle zone 190 be colored green so that they match the color ofthe package selection made by the second vehicle which has just enteredthe first vehicle zone 190. With the first vehicle in the second vehiclezone 192 and the second vehicle in the first vehicle zone 190, a thirdvehicle can enter the package purchase zone 150 and select a packageoption for treatment of their vehicle. According to this example, thethird vehicle can select a Blue package.

According to this example, as the first vehicle 12 moves to the thirdvehicle zone 194, the illumination elements associated with that zonecan be colored red to match the package selection made by the vehicleoccupant. Also, as the second vehicle 12 moves to the second vehiclezone 192, the illumination elements associated with that zone can now becolored green to correspond to the package selection made by the secondvehicle occupant. Additionally, as the third vehicle 12 moves into thefirst vehicle zone 190, the illumination elements associated with thatzone can be colored blue to match that vehicle's package selection.

Continuing further with this example, as the first vehicle moves to thefourth vehicle zone 196, the illumination elements associated with thatzone may be colored red to match that vehicle's package selection. Asthe second vehicle 12 moves to the third vehicle zone 194, theillumination elements associated with that zone can now be colored greento correspond to this vehicle's package selection. Also, as the thirdvehicle 12 moves to the second vehicle zone 192, the illuminationelements associated with that zone can now be colored blue.

As the first vehicle 12 leaves the vehicle wash system 10 through theexit end 18, the second vehicle can move into the fourth vehicle zone196. As the second vehicle moves into the fourth vehicle zone 196, theillumination elements associated with that zone can be colored green asdirected by the controller 38. At the same time, the third vehicle canthen move into the third vehicle zone 194 where the illuminationelements can be colored blue. As the second vehicle exits the facilitythrough the exit end 18, the third vehicle 12 can move to the fourthvehicle zone 196 where the illumination elements can be colored blue.The third vehicle can then also leave out of the exit end 18. It will beappreciated that the system 10 could be employed with more or lessvehicles which have selected the same or different packages.

According to another aspect, the lighting system could be configured sothat the light sources emit colors for useful proposes as opposed to forprimarily aesthetic purposes. According to another aspect, the lightsources could be programmed to emit colors for navigation purposes, suchas red when a vehicle operator should stop and green when it is clearfor the vehicle to proceed. According to a further aspect, the lightsources could employ the RGB color model, where red, green, and bluelight are added together in various ways to reproduce a broad array ofcolors, as is known.

According to an aspect, the light sources on several of the rotarycomponents, such as the components in a particular vehicle zone, may beconfigured to separately emit lights of different colors sequentially.According to another aspect, the light sources may each be incommunication with the controller 38 so that they may be programmed toemit the same color from each of the components in synchronization orunison. According to another aspect, the controller 38 could beprogrammed to emit colors in a particular pattern or sequence. Forexample, the following color sequence could be emitted from eachcomponent: blue, followed by red, followed by green, followed by yellow.It will be appreciated that different colors could be emitted from thecomponents in different orders. For example, if the RGB color sequenceis employed, an infinite number of colors could be created and emittedfrom the light sources in a controlled fashion. According to an aspect,controlling light sources such that colored lights from variouscomponents are emitted in unison or simultaneous provides significantaesthetic benefits. This is compared to each illumination element beingcontrolled individually where they are not in unison, which can be verydistracting.

It will also be appreciated that various combinations of colors or evenmultiple colors could be emitted from each component at the same time.According to a still further aspect, the controller 38 could beconfigured to emit different colors from each of the components at thesame time. It will be appreciated that any sequence, order or placementof colors may be employed. According to an aspect, emitting differentcolors from the light sources in a controlled pattern is considered farmore attractive then emitting the colors in a random fashion.

According to an aspect of the disclosure, the controller 38 could beconfigured to vary the pattern of colors utilized within the system at apredetermined time. For example, the controller 38 could be emitted tovary the pattern based on a time trigger, i.e., the pattern could changeevery hour. According to an aspect, the controller could be configuredto change the pattern based on another event, such as the location of avehicle. The controller 38 could be configured to switch from onepattern to another based on a variety of different events or triggers.According to a further aspect, the controller 38 could be configured toswitch from one controlled pattern to another pattern randomly.

In addition to colored patterns, the controller 38 could be configuredto create other effects with the lights, including flashing the lightsin a pattern. The lights could also be dimmed or have a variety of othereffects.

According to yet another aspect, one or more bubble light sources couldbe disposed adjacent the bubble device 26 to project light onto thebubbles emitted therefrom. Again, these bubble light sources could beconfigured to emit light in a multitude of different colors. It will beappreciated that the bubble light sources could also be in communicationwith the controller 38 such that these bubble light sources could besynchronized with the light sources associated with the other componentssuch that they all emit the same color at the same time. Again,according to another aspect, the bubble light sources could beconfigured to emit different colors than those emitted from the othercomponents at the same or different times. Again, the bubble lightsources and the component light sources could be configured to emitcolors in any respective combination.

According to another aspect, the system may be configured to illuminatethe lighting elements on certain of the treatment components and/orwithin the facility upon other predetermined conditions being met ordetermined. For example, the controller 38 may be in communication withvarious input sources, such as motion sensors or the like, to determinewhether or not any vehicles are located in the vehicle treatment area,in a treatment zone, or may be approaching the vehicle treatment area.It will be appreciated that the controller may receive inputs from avariety of different sources to assist with the determination of whetheror not vehicles are in or approaching the vehicle treatment area or atreatment zone.

The specification and illustrations of the embodiments described hereinare intended to provide a general understanding of the structure of thevarious embodiments. The specification and illustrations are notintended to serve as an exhaustive and comprehensive description of allof the elements and features of apparatus and systems that use thestructures or methods described herein. Many other embodiments may beapparent to those of skill in the art upon reviewing the disclosure.Other embodiments may be used and derived from the disclosure, such thata structural substitution, logical substitution, or another change maybe made without departing from the scope of the disclosure. Accordingly,the disclosure is to be regarded as illustrative rather thanrestrictive.

Certain features are, for clarity, described herein in the context ofseparate embodiments, may also be provided in combination in a singleembodiment. Conversely, various features that are, for brevity,described in the context of a single embodiment, may also be providedseparately or in any sub combination. Further, reference to valuesstated in ranges includes each and every value within that range.

Benefits, other advantages, and solutions to problems have beendescribed above with regard to specific embodiments. However, thebenefits, advantages, solutions to problems, and any feature(s) that maycause any benefit, advantage, or solution to occur or become morepronounced are not to be construed as a critical, required, or essentialfeature of any or all the claims.

The above-disclosed subject matter is to be considered illustrative, andnot restrictive, and the appended claims are intended to cover any andall such modifications, enhancements, and other embodiments that fallwithin the scope of the present invention. Thus, to the maximum extentallowed by law, the scope of the present invention is to be determinedby the broadest permissible interpretation of the following claims andtheir equivalents, and shall not be restricted or limited by theforegoing detailed description.

Although only a few exemplary embodiments have been described in detailabove, those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that manymodifications are possible in the exemplary embodiments withoutmaterially departing from the novel teachings and advantages of theembodiments of the present disclosure. Accordingly, all suchmodifications are intended to be included within the scope of theembodiments of the present disclosure as defined in the followingclaims. In the claims, means-plus-function clauses are intended to coverthe structures described herein as performing the recited function andnot only structural equivalents, but also equivalent structures.

The invention claimed is:
 1. A vehicle wash system for a vehicle wash facility comprising: a plurality of vehicle wash components, each vehicle wash component associated with an illumination element, each illumination element operable in a plurality of modes with each mode emitting a unique color indicia; a vehicle wash package selector, said selector displaying a plurality of operator selectable vehicle wash packages and each of said packages associated with one of said unique color indicia and one or more of said vehicle wash components; at least one vehicle position sensor, said sensor detecting a position of a vehicle within said vehicle wash system; a controller connected to each of said vehicle wash components, each of said illumination elements, said selector and said at least one vehicle position sensor; and wherein, said controller is configured to receive a signal indicative of an operator selected vehicle wash package and signals from said at least one sensor indicative of a vehicle's position within said vehicle wash system, said controller activating each of said vehicle wash components associated with said package when the vehicle is adjacent to said vehicle wash component, and said controller sending a signal to said illumination element associated with said activated vehicle wash component thereby causing said illumination element to emit said unique color indicia associated with said selected vehicle wash package.
 2. The system of claim 1, wherein said vehicle wash package selector has a display that presents said plurality of operator selectable vehicle wash packages and their associated unique color indicia to a vehicle operator.
 3. The system of claim 2, wherein the display is an electronic display.
 4. The system of claim 2, wherein the plurality of vehicle wash packages includes an economy package, a standard package, and a premium package.
 5. The system of claim 1, further comprising: an input device associated with said selector, said input device allowing a vehicle operator to input a selection of one of said vehicle wash packages.
 6. The system of claim 5, wherein the input device is a mobile device.
 7. The system of claim 1, further comprising: a plurality of vehicle treatment zones disposed within the vehicle wash facility, each of said vehicle treatment zones being associated with one or more of said vehicle wash components; at least one illumination source disposed in each of said plurality of vehicle treatment zones and connected to said controller with each of said illumination sources operable in a plurality of different modes with each mode emitting one of said unique color indicia corresponding to said vehicle wash packages.
 8. The system of claim 7, wherein the controller is further configured to detect multiple selected vehicle wash packages each associated with different vehicle operators for treatment of their vehicles.
 9. The system of claim 8, further including: a plurality of said vehicle position sensors disposed within the vehicle wash facility, said sensors detecting a location of the vehicles located within the facility; each of the plurality of said vehicle position sensors configured to communicate with said controller to transmit to said controller the detected locations of the vehicles.
 10. The system of claim 9, wherein said controller is further configured to detect in which of said plurality vehicle treatment zones each of the vehicles is located and to enable said mode of said at least one illumination source in said vehicle treatment area that corresponds to said selected package of the vehicle in said vehicle treatment zone such that said color indicia emitted in each of said plurality of zones corresponds to said color indicia associated with said selected vehicle wash package for the vehicle in said zone.
 11. The system of claim 10, further comprising a plurality of illumination elements associated with each of the plurality of vehicle treatment zones.
 12. The system of claim 11, wherein the plurality of illumination elements consist of LED light sources.
 13. The system of claim 10, wherein said color indicia associated with said plurality of different vehicle wash packages are selected from one or more of the following: red, blue, green, and white.
 14. The system of claim 10, wherein said at least one illumination element in at least one of said plurality of vehicle treatment zones is disposed on a vehicle wash component selected from one or more of the following: a side brush, a top brush, a wrap brush, a wheel cleaner, a rinse arch, a foam generation device, and a dryer.
 15. A vehicle wash system, comprising: a vehicle wash package selector, said selector including a display configured to present a plurality of operator selectable vehicle wash packages each of said packages associated with one or more of a plurality of vehicle wash services, each of said packages further being associated on said display with a unique color indicia; a controller configured to detect selection of one of said vehicle wash packages by a vehicle operator; at least one vehicle treatment zone defined in a vehicle treatment area wherein at least one of said vehicle wash services may be performed on a vehicle, said vehicle treatment zone including at least one illumination element associated therewith, said at least one illumination element operable in a plurality of different modes with each of said modes corresponding to emission of one of said unique color indicia associated with one of said packages; said controller in communication with said at least one illumination element and configured to enable operation of one of said modes by said illumination element, said mode based on a selection of one of said vehicle wash packages by an operator; said at least one illumination element emitting said unique color indicia associated with the selected vehicle package in response to a signal from said controller; and wherein said at least one illumination element is positioned in said at least one vehicle treatment zone such that said color indicia emitted therefrom is visible to a vehicle operator while in said vehicle treatment zone.
 16. The system of claim 15, further comprising: a plurality of vehicle treatment zones disposed along a length of said vehicle treatment area, each of said plurality of vehicle treatment zones having at least one of said illumination elements associated therewith.
 17. The system of claim 16, wherein said controller is further configured to: detect multiple operator selected vehicle wash packages and to associate each selected vehicle wash package with a different vehicle; determine a location of each of said vehicles along said vehicle treatment area and to determine a location of a specific vehicle in a specific vehicle treatment zone; and based on said determined location of each of said vehicles and said selected vehicle wash package associated with each of said vehicles, said controller enabling operation of each illumination element in each treatment zone having a vehicle located therein whereby the mode of each of said illumination elements corresponds to the vehicle wash package associated with said vehicle and whereby each of said illumination elements emits the color indicia associated with said vehicle wash package.
 18. The system of claim 16, further comprising: a plurality of illumination elements associated with each of the plurality of vehicle treatment zones.
 19. The system of claim 15, wherein said at least one illumination element is disposed within a sign element configured to be disposed adjacent a vehicle treatment zone.
 20. The system of claim 15, wherein said at least illumination element consists of one or more LED sources.
 21. The system of claim 15, wherein said display is configured as a computer screen, which includes a listing of said plurality of operator selectable vehicle wash packages.
 22. The system of claim 15, wherein said color indicia are selected from one or more of the following colors: red, blue, green and white.
 23. The system of claim 22, wherein the controller is configured to employ DMX protocol.
 24. The system of claim 15, wherein said selected vehicle wash package may be communicated by a user to said controller.
 25. The system of claim 15, wherein the user may communicate said selected vehicle wash package to said controller by a mobile device.
 26. A vehicle wash system comprising: a vehicle wash package selector which displays to a vehicle operator a plurality of different vehicle wash packages, including a base package and a premium package each of said packages associated with a plurality of vehicle wash services for a vehicle; said selector associating a different color indicia with each of said vehicle wash packages; a vehicle treatment area wherein a vehicle can receive said plurality of vehicle wash services, said treatment area including a plurality of vehicle treatment zones and each of said zones associated with one or more of said vehicle wash services; a controller, said controller including a vehicle location detector capable of detecting and tracking a location of one or more vehicles in said vehicle treatment area and a location of a specific vehicle in each of said vehicle treatment zones, said controller further configured to detect a first selection of one of said vehicle wash packages and associating it with a first vehicle and to detect a second selection of one of said vehicle wash packages and associating it with a second vehicle; a plurality of illumination elements controlled by said controller, at least one of said elements located in each of said vehicle treatment zones, said illumination elements each operable in a plurality of modes with each of said modes corresponding to emission of one of said color indicia; and said controller determining a location of a vehicle in one of said vehicle treatment zones and causing said illumination element in said zone to emit said color indicia associated with said vehicle wash package associated with said vehicle.
 27. The system of claim 26, further comprising: one or more location sensors configured to communicate with said vehicle location detector for providing location information about one or more vehicles located in each of said vehicle treatment zones.
 28. The system of claim 26, further comprising: a plurality of illumination elements associated with each of said plurality of vehicle treatment zones.
 29. The system of claim 28, wherein one or more of the plurality of illumination elements is disposed on a vehicle treatment component.
 30. The system of claim 29, wherein the one or more illumination elements on the vehicle treatment component are located adjacent a rotating hub. 